


Atlas in My Hands

by MemesDreamsAndBeans



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Domestic Wayhaught, F/F, Mostly Fluff, Some hurt/comfort, The road trip au that no one asked for, after the curse, lots and lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-14 07:36:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13002960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MemesDreamsAndBeans/pseuds/MemesDreamsAndBeans
Summary: Even after the curse has ended, Waverly and Nicole are still haunted by the memories. Nicole decides that they need to get away for a while- go take a trip and see everything that Waverly’s been dreaming of seeing for her entire life.Featuring: dessert, cowboys who don’t know how to use Snapchat, and some beautiful sights.





	1. Take me to the docks

**Author's Note:**

> Hello I’m back with yet another trashy au. I hope you enjoy this :))))

Chapter One

—

_Take me to the docks, there's a ship without a name there_  
_And it is sailing to the middle of the sea_  
_The water there is deeper than anything you've ever seen_  
_Jump right in and swim until you're free_

_—_

The curse had been broken. The curse had been broken and days later, Nicole was starting to make her plan. Alice was coming home soon- after almost three years apart, Wynonna wanted her daughter back with her as soon as possible. Gus had happily looked after her, caring for her much like she had cared for Waverly. Alice knew her parents and her aunt, having been shown almost all of the pictures that Gus has of them. Gus told them that Alice knew about Nicole as well, on the rare occasions that it was safe enough to call. It had been about a year before the curse had finally been broken. Nicole had been surprised, still occasionally feeling like an outsider among the Earps.

Later that evening when she and the Earp girls were sitting around the fire pit with steaming cups of hot chocolate- much more innocent than their usual, but Wynonna had cut down on the drinking- Waverly could tell that something was off with her girlfriend. She pressed the issue until Nicole finally admitted in a soft voice that sometimes she was scared that she wasn’t really part of the family.

Wynonna had snorted as if that was the dumbest thing she had ever heard. “Haught,” she said. “You’re as family as family can get. You’ve almost died for every one of us more times than we can count. You’re one of us. Sorry, but you’re not getting rid of us.”

When they were in their bed that night, Waverly reassured her with soft words and even softer touches. After, Waverly had wound her arms tight around Nicole, her fingers lightly playing with the ends of red curls. Nicole had her head resting on her love’s chest, listening to the heartbeat that she was so scared to lose. And she had come so close to losing it. They had all come so close to death, but Nicole was certain that losing Waverly would be worse than her own death.

But they don’t have to worry about that anymore, hopefully. They tracked the last revenant down and Wynonna put a bullet in his head without a millisecond of hesitation. It all seemed so quick, when it was over. They were all there and they just stood, staring at the snowy ground where the revenant had just been. It was deadly silent. Even though they were deep in the middle of the woods (much to Dolls’ discomfort), no sounds were heard. It was as if the entire forest was holding its breath, but at the same time it felt... normal. There was no big bang, there was... nothing. Sending him back to hell had been just the same as all the rest.

It was Wynonna who moved first. She holstered Peacemaker and turned after giving the ground one last long look. She began to walk away, the crunch of her boots against the snow sudden and startling. Doc and Dolls shared a glance, holstered their own weapons, and turned to follow Wynonna. Jeremy shook his head to clear it before scampering after the men, his incredibly impractical lab coat catching the wind and fluttering around him. Nicole and Waverly were left.

Nicole slowly holstered her handgun into her duty belt, making sure to click the safety on and clip the safety strap into place. Her shoulders sagged, and she let out a long sigh.

The snow crunched under Waverly’s boots as she stepped in front of Nicole. She wrapped her arms around Nicole’s waist, leaning her forehead into Nicole’s chest. Nicole held her girlfriend tightly to her, resting her chin on top of the smaller girl’s head.

Nicole only pulls back when she hears quiet sniffling from Waverly. She put her hands on Waverly’s shoulders and pushed her away just enough to look down at her. Her hazel eyes were red and welling up with tears.

“Oh, baby,” Nicole had said, gently brushing away the tears on Waverly’s cheeks. “Baby, what’s wrong? Talk to me, Waverly.”

She shook her head slightly, hesitating to speak as more tears roll down her cheeks. Nicole promptly wiped them away with her thumbs, her eyebrows furrowing.

“I... I’m just... it’s all over, Nicole. We made it, but you... you got so hurt so many times and, and so did everyone else and I’m so scared that it’s not really over and something will happen again and-”

Nicole had cut off Waverly’s rambling explanation by pulling her back into a tight embrace, whispering, “I’ve got you, baby. You’re safe, we’re all safe. You don’t have to be scared anymore.”

Waverly stayed in her lover’s arms for a few moments longer, letting her familiar scent and strong arms comfort and calm her. Waverly pulled away, wiping at her eyes with one hand. “I’m okay,” she whispered, answering Nicole’s question before she even got a chance to ask it.

By that point, Waverly had started shivering. The adrenaline that had come from chasing the revenant had worn off, and the cold had begun to bite through her coat.

They had followed the other’s tracks through the snow, and Nicole had made certain that she was touching Waverly in some way for the entire walk in the hopes of offering some comfort.

And now Nicole was sitting on the edge of their bed in the old Earp homestead, writing a rough outline of her plan in a little notebook. (It’s not really a _plan_. It’s more of a rough list of all of the places that Waverly had said that she wanted to travel to.)

She hears light footsteps approaching the door and closes the book, placing it and her pen on the bedside table. A moment later the door opens and Waverly’s head peeks in. There’s a tiny smile playing at the corner of her lips and affection shines clearly in her eyes. “Dinner’s almost ready, Nic. I need my sweetie to help me make dessert, though.”

Nicole can’t help but answer with a delighted grin. “Oh, really? Well, I’m at your service.” Nicole stands and strides towards Waverly, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to her girlfriend’s lips.

Waverly giggles softly, finding Nicole’s hand. She weaves their hands together and tugs the taller woman along. She leads the redhead downstairs and into the kitchen, where she has all of the ingredients for her phenomenal banana muffins laid out.

“Are you sure I won’t screw it up like last time?” Nicole asks, watching as Waverly hurries over to the counter. She stretches up onto her tiptoes to grab a mixing bowl from a cupboard. Nicole steps up behind her, wrapping one arm around the smaller woman’s waist. She reaches up with her free hand, grabbing the bowl. She hands it to Waverly, who takes it with a grateful smile.

She turns her head to press a loving kiss to Nicole’s cheek. “Oh, come on. It wasn’t that bad. You just added... a little too much salt.”

“A little is an understatement, Waves. Any updates from Wynonna and the guys?” Nicole asks. Wynonna, Doc, and Dolls had left early that morning to drive down into the United States to meet up with Gus and little Alice.

“They’ve got a ways to go, but they made it across the border without any problems. They’re going to stop at a hotel tonight and hopefully drive the rest of the way tomorrow. But until then... we have the house to ourselves.”

Nicole grins, resting her chin on Waverly’s shoulder. She watches as her girlfriend measures out her dry ingredients, dumping them into a bowl. (Nicole isn’t the best baker in the world, but she still likes to watch Waverly and act like she’s being useful.)

“Can you handle peeling the bananas?” Waverly asks, twisting in Nicole’s arms to face her. Nicole reaches out with one hand and wipes away a little smudge of flour that had gotten onto Waverly’s nose.

“I think I can manage that without screwing up,” Nicole says. She kisses the same spot that she had wiped the flour away from before pulling away to set about completing the task that she had been given.

Nicole peels the bananas for Waverly, who does the rest of the work. After the last few times that Nicole had tried to help, they had decided that Nicole should get only the basic tasks that are extremely hard to screw up.

Waverly pops the muffin tray into the stove and the women sit down to eat. Waverly had made a gorgeous looking stir fry that Nicole can’t wait to try. Nicole cracks open a bottle of wine and pours them each a glass. She taps her own against Waverly’s. “Here’s to one of us being good in the kitchen,” she says, which draws a laugh from Waverly. Nicole is sure that the sound is prettier than any music that she’s ever heard before.

“Oh, baby, you can cook. It’s just baking that you’re bad at.” Waverly takes a sip of her wine, her eyes twinkling with amusement as Nicole does the same.

“Right, well, here’s to one of us being an absolutely fantastic, completely gorgeous baker. Thank you for dinner.”

Waverly hums softly, watching as Nicole continues to eat as if the stir fry is the best thing she’s ever eaten. Which, Nicole is convinced that it is. “Any tweaks, baby?”

Nicole takes a moment to chew before shaking her head. “Nope. Absolutely delicious. You completely blow me away each and ever time you cook anything.”

The younger woman laughs again, feeling the glow in her cheeks that is a combination of the wine and the loving praise from her girlfriend. “That reminds me, thank you for fixing that door in the barn. Henry sure is happy that it’s not blowing open in the middle of the night anymore.”

“Ah, it was no biggie. The door was just warped pretty bad, so it wouldn’t shut right. All I had to do was get a new door.” Nicole shrugs. She had taken pleasure in doing the odd job around the homestead, usually fixing up little problems she had noticed. One summer afternoon she and Dolls repaired a section of the fence that had collapsed, and Waverly had taken her own pleasure in watching her girlfriend working in that sports bra, her muscles on full display...

Needless to say, it was something that Waverly loved to watch, and it was something that Nicole was more than happy to do. She had said that it was the least she could do in return for all the Earps has done for her.

The two women finish their meal, continuing to sit at the table and sip their wine. Nicole drains hers and stands, gathering up both of their bowls. She presses a kiss to the side of Waverly’s head as she passes.

She rinses the bowls out before leaving them in the sink, saying, “I’ll do the dishes later tonight, baby. You want another glass of wine?” Waverly nods, holding her glass out to Nicole. She fills both of their glasses again before working the cork back into the bottle. She slides it into the refrigerator before sitting back down across from Waverly, flashing her a bright, dimpled smile.

“So, Waves, if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” Nicole had asked the question before, but each time the answer had changed, so she kept on asking.

“Hmm... San Francisco, I think. Or New Orleans, that would be so much fun. Ooh, we could try beignets, and they have all that fresh seafood.”

Nicole nods, listening with a smile tugging at the corners of her lips as Waverly lists off all of the attractions in New Orleans.

Waverly finally stops, cutting herself off once she starts to talk about lighthouses. Instead, she tilts her head slightly and reaches across the table for her lover’s hand. “Where would you want to go, Nicole?”

“Anywhere that puts that gorgeous smile on your face is where I want to be, baby. We need to get you a passport, huh?”

“Well, I don’t have any international travel planned for anytime soon. Those are just hypotheticals, after all.” Waverly shrugs, taking another sip of her wine.

Nicole rubs her thumb across Waverly’s knuckles, shaking her head. “They don’t have to be just hypotheticals. We broke the curse, baby. We can go wherever we want to go. I can take you anywhere that you want to go.”

Waverly stares at Nicole for a long moment with an indecipherable look on her face. Finally, her eyebrows draw together in concern. “But... what about Wynonna? We can’t just leave her here, I mean, she needs someone around here.”

“I’ve already talked to her about it, Waves. She completely agreed. She said that you need some time to finally go and see everything that you’ve been dreaming about. Wynonna told me that it’s time for you to stop looking after everyone else for once and do something for yourself. And that we should go and “get all of our rampant sexual urges under control” so we don’t end up scarring Alice, but that’s not important right now.”

That at least got Waverly to crack a smile. Still, though, she’s unconvinced. “But still, Doc needs help getting Shorty’s back under control and Dolls and Jeremy will need help clearing out the Black Badge offices.”

Nicole releases a quiet sigh, standing from her chair. She walks around the table in order to crouch in front of Waverly, taking both of her hands properly. “Waverly Earp, you listen to me. You have done so much for every single person in this damn town. It’s time that you let someone do something for you. Let me do this for you, baby. Let me take you to see every beautiful place that we can think of.”

Waverly sits and stares again, this time at their their linked hands. She studies the ring on Nicole’s right hand, a simple silver band that has the words by your side engraved on the inside. She had gotten it for their second anniversary, and Nicole has rarely taken it off since then. Finally, she looks back up and meets Nicole’s gaze. “Well... we can’t go on a road trip without a plan, right?”

Nicole’s answering smile is brighter than the sun. “Really? You mean that you’re okay with this? You want to go?”

Waverly pretends to think for a second, pulling one hand free in order to tap her finger against her chin. “Hmm... I get the change to go wandering around wherever I want to go with the best girlfriend in the entire world? It’s a hard offer to pass up.”

Nicole leans forward and captures Waverly’s lips in an elated kiss. Waverly happily returns the kiss, her free hand sliding into Nicole’s hair, which she had kept short since she had cut it years ago.

Nicole pulls back slightly, resting her forehead against Waverly’s. “I was worried that you’d be harder to convince.”

“Wynonna is a big girl, right? I guess I don’t need to look after her all the time, and she has Doc and Dolls and Jeremy to help around here. And everything’s just been so hectic all the time that we haven’t really gotten a chance to just be... us.”

“I know, baby. This is our chance to just be us. To just be together like a normal couple for a little bit. Not that I don’t love living here with Wynonna and the others, but sometimes I want my girl to myself.”

Waverly giggles, pulling Nicole in for another loving kiss. Things are just starting to heat up- Waverly had run the tip of her tongue along Nicole’s bottom lip, prompting a needy whimper- when the stove timer goes off. Waverly jumps, breaking away from Nicole.

Nicole groans and straightens up from her somewhat awkward position crouching on the floor. She shuts the timer off before grabbing an oven mitt. She pulls the muffins out of the oven and sets them on the counter, sighing quietly.

Waverly’s gaze darts between her girlfriend and her muffins, conflicted as to whether they should abandon the muffins or not.

She stands, walking over to one of the cupboards to grab a cooling rack. She sets it down and Nicole wordlessly starts moving the hot muffins onto the rack.

The smaller woman watches her girlfriend, a soft smile forming on her lips as Nicole tucks stray strands of hair behind her ears.

Nicole leans against the counter once she’s finished. “You know, it seems like we can never get anywhere without something or someone interrupting us.”

“Well, at least it’s not Wynonna walking in,” Waverly says as Nicole grimaces. “That’s happened a few too many times.”

“Yeah, and all of them were traumatizing. Your sister has seen way too much of me.”

“Ooh, remember that one time when I was wearing the s-”

“Okay!” Nicole interrupts, her face glowing bright red. “We don’t need to talk about that. That was... the most embarrassing experience of my life.”

“Really? The most embarrassing? What about that time when you were handcuffed and-”

Nicole interrupts once again, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her. “Waves! As much as I enjoy our sex life, I don’t enjoy being reminded of your sister constantly walking in on us.”

Unfortunately, most of Wynonna’s interruptions had happened during their more... adventurous moments. Which, of course, led Wynonna to incessantly call them kinky every chance that she got.

Waverly pretends to pout in dissapointment, but the twinkle in her eyes gives away her amusement. “Fine, stick in the mud. But, you know, speaking of enjoying our sex life...” Waverly steps closer, trailing one finger from her girlfriend’s collarbone down to where her shirt is buttoned. “We’re all alone. No more oven timers to interrupt us, no sisters...”

Nicole grins, quickly forgetting all about her previous embarrassment. “Why, Ms. Earp, are you trying to proposition a police officer?”

Waverly giggles, beginning to unbutton Nicole’s shirt. “I would never do such a thing, officer. I’m a good girl.”

Nicole can’t help but laugh along with her girlfriend. Her hands find their spot resting on Waverly’s hips, where she rubs small circles into her skin.

Waverly’s sense of curiosity and fascination with her girlfriend’s body had never faded. It led to a hunger to explore and learn, which she did eagerly. Nicole was patient and kind, always leading Waverly through what she could. They learned some things together, things that Nicole hadn’t already done but both of them wanted to try. Sure, a lot of the time it was awkward and both of them fumbled, but that only added to the experience.

The smaller woman finishes unbuttoning her girlfriend’s shirt and she slowly pushes it off of her shoulders. Her eyes dart over the newly exposed skin while her hands move to softly stroke Nicole’s stomach.

The years of fighting demons hadn’t been kind. Her body was littered with scars, some of which she couldn’t even remember getting. Waverly had been there to patch her up each and every time. Waverly’s eyes flick towards the bite marks on Nicole’s arm. That was by far the worst of them all. Even the thought of it makes Waverly shudder. Nicole, ever observant and in tune with Waverly’s body language, catches it.

She brings her hands up to cup Waverly’s cheeks. “Hey, baby. What’re you thinking about?” Waverly shakes her head just slightly, leaning her head into one of Nicole’s hands.

“Just... the widow bite. God, that was terrible,” she says, letting out a shaky laugh. Nicole hums softly, pulling Waverly in closer for a hug.

“I know, baby. We’re still here, though. We’re still here and we’re safe.” Waverly nods, burying her face into Nicole’s neck. “You saved me that day, Waves. You’ve always been there to save me.”

Most days, Waverly can ignore all of the scars on both of their bodies. Today is apparently not one of those days. She tries to keep herself under control, but she soon feels tears forming in her eyes.

Nicole picks Waverly up bridal style. She carries her up to their bedroom, where Calamity Jane is already occupying her spot on the bed. Nicole lays her girlfriend down on top of the bed gently before going to get sleep clothes. Their cat stands and pads the few short feet to the small woman, settling in beside her with a deep, comforting purr rumbling in her chest.

She helps Waverly out of her clothes, then into the sleep shorts and the old t-shirt from Nicole’s academy days. She changes quickly, then slides into bed beside Waverly. Nicole pulls the blankets over them before gathering Waverly up and cradling her close.

Waverly hides her face in Nicole’s chest, her body shaking softly as she cries. Nicole rubs her back, trying to offer whatever comfort that she can. She understands the feeling all too well, being terrified and worried and anxious. Maybe one day these feelings will fade and they’ll be able to live without the constant fear, but all of the memories of what they’d gone through are still so fresh.

Eventually, Waverly stops shaking, and eventually, her breathing evens out. Nicole stays awake to make sure that Waverly is all right. Every time she whimpers or tenses up, Nicole is there, humming softly or rubbing her back to lull her back into sleep.

—

When Waverly wakes up early the next morning, she once again hides her face in Nicole’s chest. She mumbles something that Nicole can’t quite make out.

“What was that, sweetheart?” Nicole asks, her voice soft. Waverly lifts her head, repeating what she had said.

“I’m sorry, Nicole,” she says.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, Waves. Nothing at all.”

Waverly sniffles, her gaze turned down as she picks at the hem of her shirt. “I ruined our night.”

“Don’t be silly. Our night was great. You cooked a fantastic dinner and I helped you bake without setting the entire kitchen on fire.” A smile begins to creep onto Waverly’s face, so Nicole continues. “It was the best. Hey, and you agreed to go travel with me. We’re gonna see the sights, Waves. I think that we should definitely stop in Nebraska, get a chance to see all those fields and the vast stretches of absolutely nothing.”

Waverly starts to giggle, which was Nicole’s goal all along. “Nebraska, huh? Are we gonna have some hush puppies and watch the prairie dogs playing?”

“Absolutely, baby,” Nicole says, grinning from ear to ear. Nicole then leans forwards, peppering her girlfriend’s face in little kisses. Waverly squirms, playfully pushing at Nicole’s shoulders.

“Stop! Stop, Nic, that tickles!” She says, gasping in between bouts of giggles. “Nicole! Oh my god!”

Nicole finishes her attack by pressing a long kiss to Waverly’s lips, bringing her hands up to cup Waverly’s cheeks.

Waverly returns the kiss, her eyes falling closed. It ends sooner than they would have liked, because Waverly is still slightly out of breath.

The women lay facing each other, small smiles on both of their faces. Nicole reaches out, brushing a lock of hair away from Waverly’s face. “You feeling better?” She asks. Waverly nods, reaching up to grab Nicole’s hand and lace their fingers together. “Good. I’m gonna go take a shower, do you want to come with me?” Waverly nods again.

They head to the bathroom together, their fingers still linked. Nicole turns the shower on to let the water warm up, not for the first time missing the far superior water system at her old house. She and Calamity Jane had moved onto the homestead soon after the widow attack. The Earps had decided that it was far safer for her there instead of at her own house. She’s not complaining, of course. The extra security is definitely a bonus and getting to come home to Waverly every day is fantastic. She just misses the way that her shower didn’t take three minutes to warm up.

When the water is warm, Nicole and Waverly step into the shower together. Showering together had been a common occurrence. They appreciated the quiet, intimate time together that it brings. (Neither of them enjoy shower sex, finding the angles too awkward in their tiny shower. Besides, if they stay in there for too long, they’re likely to get a blast of cold water to the face. Nicole once again curses the homestead’s water.)

Nicole grabs Waverly’s shampoo to begin washing her hair. This is by far one of Nicole’s favorite things. Waverly closes her eyes, a contented smile forming on her lips.

They both enjoy it. Nicole is always incredibly gentle, making sure not to tug at Waverly’s hair or catch her fingers in a tangle. She steps back, letting Waverly rinse her hair out.

Nicole inclines her head down so Waverly doesn’t have to push up onto her tiptoes to wash her hair. They finish their shower together quietly, the only sound being the water falling around them.

Nicole steps out of the shower first, drying off quickly. When Waverly turns the water off and steps out, Nicole wraps her up in a large, soft towel. She huddles close to her girlfriend, already starting to shiver as the cooler air hits her skin.

“Do we have anywhere to be today, baby?” Nicole asks, rubbing her hands up and down Waverly’s arms.

“I don’t have anything planned. Why?”

Nicole grins, gently pushing Waverly back towards the door. “In that case, go get something comfy on and get your cute butt back into bed. This is officially a lazy day.”


	2. Take Me To Loveland

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry as always for the delays. School, of course. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

_Take me to loveland_  
_And no one's gonna find me  
Cause I'm leavin' this old place_

_—_

Nicole stands outside of her boss’s office, trying her best not to pace nervously as she works up the courage to rap on the door. She doesn’t even get the chance to do so before she hears an exasperated sigh from Nedley. “Haught, goddamnit, just get in here. Stop acting like a damn fool.”

“Yes, sir,” she says, her voice a few octaves higher than normal as she scrambles into the office. Nedley is sitting at his desk, his expression just as gruff and unamused as ever.

“Take a seat, Haught,” he says. Nicole does as ordered. She sits under the sheriff’s gaze, trying her best to keep an air of confidence around herself, even if confidence is the very last thing she’s feeling at the moment.

“Sir, I wanted to talk to you about... I mean, I wanted to ask if... Well, what I’m trying to say that...” Truly, Nicole has no idea why she’s so nervous in this moment. She’s just asking for a little time off. Well, it’s more than just a little. And the station is so understaffed as it is, and most of the employees that they do have can’t tell the difference between a missing pet and a missing person-

“I’m giving you the time off, Nicole,” he says, once again growing tired of waiting for Nicole to find her footing. She stops her awkward speech in favor of staring dumbfounded at her boss. He rolls his eyes. “Don’t think that I haven’t noticed you looking at vacation websites when nothin’ else is going on.”

Nicole begins to stammer out some explanation for her completely unprofessional behavior, some apology, when Nedley holds up a hand and shakes his head. “Listen, Haught,” he begins, his expression softening considerably. “I know that these past few years have been hard. Hell, you’ve been a frequent flyer at the hospital since you stepped foot in Purgatory. Lord knows what you girls have really been through. Point is, you deserve a vacation.”

“I... thank you, sir. Thank you so much. This really means a-”

“I don’t want any of that mushy emotional bullshit in this office, Haught. Get back to work,” he says, his gruff exterior returning. Nicole grins, nodding quickly.

“Of course, Sheriff,” Nicole says, her grin only growing wider as she watches Nedley try to fight back a smile smile. Over the years, Nedley had really become a father figure to her. She has an open invitation to family dinner nights with the Sheriff and Chrissy. Nedley is a surprisingly good cook, if you’re a fan of potato salad and barbecue.

Nicole leaves her boss’s office, shutting the door behind her. She tries to school her expression into a more neutral one, but she finds it almost impossible. She’s just one step closer to an incredibly overdue vacation with her girlfriend, and the thought fills her with joy.

The rest of the day is challenging, putting it lightly. Nicole is certain that she got stuck with all of the weirdos that Purgatory has to offer, and there’s certainly no shortage of them. First, she has to listen to old Mrs. Felix’s statement about a hoodlum who broke into her house and painted her walls a different color, then she has to respond to a call at the Party Palace, one of the town’s other bars. A bar fight had broken out between two men because one of them had eaten the other man’s shitty bar pretzels.

She’d just gotten the two men into holding cells and was just about to settle down to do some paperwork when another call came in. It was a shots fired call, so Nicole was all geared up, Kevlar vest and all. When she got to the house that the shots came from, though, she found that it was nothing more than a man trying to kill a spider with a shotgun.

Nicole finally gets a moment to relax and start on some of the paperwork that has been piling up throughout the day. She’s hunched over, completely focused on filling out her reports when she feels a hand on her shoulder and sees someone sit on her desk in her peripheral vision. She looks up, a goofy grin spreading across her lips when she sees Waverly sitting there.

“Hi, darling. What are you doing here?” Nicole asks, setting her pen down and pushing her report away in order to give Waverly her full and undivided attention. Waverly holds up a takeout box, handing it over to Nicole.

“I thought that I would come see my lovely lady at work and bring her some lunch. It’s a BLT and fries from the diner, by the way.” Nicole takes the box with an almost reverent look of appreciation.

“You are the love of my life, Waves. Lord knows I needed this.” She opens the box up, sighing happily at the sandwich and fries in front of her.

“Rough day?” Waverly asks, her eyebrows pulling together. She reaches out, placing a comforting hand on Nicole’s shoulder. Nicole leans into the touch, sighing once again.

“Long and busy, and I still have five hours of my shift left. I swear, this town just attracts whack jobs in droves.” Waverly laughs, which immediately lightens Nicole up. She smiles, shaking her head playfully as she picks up one diagonally cut half of her sandwich.

Waverly leans forward slightly, brushing her fingertips over Nicole’s arm. “I know what you mean. I got my fair share of whack jobs at Shorty’s.”

Nicole chuckles, shaking her head slightly. “Bars are always super fun. Never a dull moment.” She finishes her lunch, chatting about nothing important with Waverly.

Waverly hops off of Nicole’s desk, laying her hand on Nicole’s shoulder. She rubs small circles there with her thumb. “Do you need anything at home? I’m gonna drop by the store before I head back to the homestead.”

Nicole takes a moment to think, leaning back in her desk chair. “Calamity Jane needs some more wet food. She likes the-”

“She likes the salmon kind, I know,” Waverly says. There’s a sympathetic look in her eyes. Calamity is getting old, leading to some difficulties. She’s been on an almost entirely wet food diet lately because the vet said that she wasn’t getting enough liquids. The vet did also say that Calamity is expected to live for a few more years, which gave Nicole some hope. She’s determined to pamper her cat as much as humanely possible for as long as she can.

“Okay. I’ll see you back at home, baby. I love you,” Nicole says. Waverly smiles down at her girlfriend, leaning down to bring their lips together in a short kiss.

“I love you too, Nic. See you tonight. Be safe, okay?” She says after she pulls away from the kiss. Waverly strokes Nicole’s cheek with her thumb, looking intently into deep brown eyes.

Nicole smiles, turning her head to press a tiny kiss to Waverly’s thumb. “I always am.”

Waverly nods, returning Nicole’s smile. She pulls her hand away from her girlfriend’s face slowly. She waves as she starts to walk away. Nicole finds it adorable how Waverly blows a kiss to her before leaving the bullpen.

—

Waverly had been gone for all of thirty minutes when another call comes in. When she hears the details, Nicole’s heart drops and her blood runs cold. Shots fired at Harrison’s Grocery. For the second time that day, she finds herself fastening her bulletproof vest on.

Nicole, Lonnie, McClane, West, and Nedley all gear up and pile into the squad cars. McClane rides shotgun with Nicole. She tries not to panic, she tries not to think of what could currently be going wrong, and she sure as hell tries not to think of the very real possibility that Waverly was in the store.

It’s a short drive, only about four minutes. There’s already a small crowd gathering, and as the officers pull up, Nedley begins barking orders.

“Lonnie, crowd control! Keep everyone back and away from the windows. McClane, West, circle around the back. Haught, you’re with me.”

Nicole nods quickly, her service weapon at the ready as she presses herself against the wall next to the doors. Peeking around the wall and through the glass doors, she sees two men in ski masks with guns standing at the counter. The owner, Mr. Harrison, is standing behind the counter, his hands help up and visibly shaking.

One man is waving his gun around, presumably yelling out orders, while the other one has his weapon trained steadily on Mr. Harrison. Nicole doesn’t see anyone else, but she presumes that there are civilians hiding behind the shelves.

It all happens very quickly. One minute, the man is yelling and waving his gun, the next, he’s lowered it and fired a shot. The bullet hits Mr. Harrison in the shoulder, and he’s down in an instant.

Nedley finds Nicole’s eyes and nods firmly. He pushes off of the wall and rushes the door, ramming it open. Nicole follows behind, watching intently as the robbers snap their attention to the front of the store.

She doesn’t think before she shoots. She just does before the robbers get the chance to. One bullet hits the man who shot Mr. Harrison. It hits his thigh, and he’s down almost as fast as the old man was.

Nedley hits the other one. Nicole doesn’t wait to see where it hit, she dives behind the counter and crawls over to Mr. Harrison. He’s gasping, clutching at his shoulder. She kneels next to him, pushing his hands out of the way with one of her own. With her free hand, she grabs her pocket knife and behind cutting away the arm of the shirt. She tears it out of the way before cutting a clean strip of fabric from the bottom of his shirt. Nicole presses the fabric firmly to the wound, applying pressure to staunch the bleeding.

“Mr. Harrison, this is Deputy Nicole Haught. Can you hear me?” Nicole receives a pained grunt and a small nod as an answer. “Good, good. You’re alright, Mr. Harrison. The situation is under control and an ambulance will be here very soon. Until then, I need you to stay calm for me. Can you do that?” Another nod. “Good. You’re doing great, Mr. Harrison, just a bit longer. Do you know if anyone else was hurt?” He shakes his head negatively. “That’s okay, that’s okay. I hear the ambulance now, you'll be okay.”

Along with the ambulance, Nicole had been hearing McClane and West’s voices from the back of the store, probably directing the civilians out to safety.

“Haught, how you doing?” Nedley calls from over the counter.

She can hear the ambulances getting closer, their sirens blaring. “Fine, Sheriff. Mr. Harrison is stable, one shot to the shoulder. I have pressure on the wound and he’s still awake. You?”

“Got the bastards in cuffs. Local boys,” Nedley says. Soon after, Nicole can hear the ambulance stop outside the store and paramedics come bursting through the doors. Nicole calls to them, then she steps back to allow them to take over and get Mr. Harrison to the hospital. She rejoins Nedley, who has the two boys unmasked and handcuffed. He hands one of them off to her.

“Get him back to the station and into processing. I’ll be there soon.” Nicole nods, grabbing the robber’s shoulder and leading him outside. She gets him into the back of the squad car, ignoring his protests. He’s slurring his words, like he’s drunk.

By the time that Nicole is back at the station, the adrenaline has begun to wear off and the fear and worry that she had been feeling earlier had crept back in.

She processes the robber and throws him into a holding cell. She heads straight back to her desk and grabs her phone, calling Waverly.

The phone rings a few times before Waverly answers. “Hey, baby! What’s up?”

“Waverly, are you okay? Where are you?” Nicole asks, relieved to hear Waverly’s voice again.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m at the homestead. Nicole, what’s wrong?”

Nicole sighs, her breath shaky. She leans her head onto her hand, closing her eyes. “There was a shooting at the store. I was so worried, baby. I thought you were there and there were shots fired and I was just... scared that you were there and you were hurt.”

“I’m okay, baby. I was in and out of there in five minutes, all I needed was C.J.’s food and some tomatoes. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. I’m so glad you’re okay,” Nicole says. “I’ll see you at home, Waves.”

—

Nicole is exhausted. All she wants is to take her uniform off and crawl into bed with Waverly. She stomps the snow off of her boots before she heads inside, shrugging out of her jacket. Nicole hangs it up and pulls her boots off, leaving them by the door.

Waverly emerges from the kitchen, smiling softly. She wraps Nicole up in a hug, stroking her hair softly. Nicole relaxes into Waverly, returning the hug eagerly.

Waverly holds her girlfriend for a moment before pulling back. “Go take a shower and change into some comfy clothes, okay?”

Nicole nods, pulling Waverly back into her for another hug. She stands there embracing Waverly for a long moment before letting go. Waverly kisses Nicole’s cheek, then gently pushes her towards the stairs.

Nicole takes a hot shower for as long as she can before the water begins to run cold. She spends half of the time that she’s in the shower trying to scrub away the feeling of blood on her hands. Mr. Harrison is okay and stable in the hospital, but Nicole still feels as uncomfortable as always.

She steps out of the shower, drying her hair with a towel. She changes into sweatpants and a worn t-shirt that has her high school mascot printed on it.

As Nicole walks down the steps back towards Waverly, she can hear her moving around in the kitchen. She leans against the doorway to the kitchen, watching her love move around the kitchen.

Nicole walks further in, reaching out to grab Waverly’s hand. “Is there anything I can do to help, baby?”

“You can go relax in the living room while I finish up dinner. I made lasagna.”

Nicole shakes her head. “There must be something I can do.”

“You had a rough day, Nic. Go sit down. I’ll be right there.” Nicole complies, walking to the living room. She grabs the blanket that Waverly keeps in there for when she gets cold (which is almost always) and wraps it around herself. She sits on the couch and turns the television on, flipping through the channels before settling on the food network.

Waverly appears, holding two plates piled high with lasagna and garlic bread. She sets the plates down on the coffee table while Nicole holds one arm open. Waverly settles into the couch, cuddling into her girlfriend’s side.

They eat their dinner quietly, watching Chopped and cuddling. When they’re both finished, Waverly takes both of their plates and disappears into the kitchen for a moment. She returns and immediately settles back into her position by Nicole’s side.

“How are you feeling, love? I know that today was a bad day,” Waverly says, resting her head on Nicole’s chest.

“I’m okay. Mr. Harrison is okay, no one else got hurt, and the idiots who did it are behind bars.”

“How are you, though?"

"Tired," Nicole says with another sigh. She absentmindedly drags her fingers down Waverly’s arm, her gaze focused on the chefs frantically running around on the television. “Glad that there weren’t any really serious injuries. Annoyed because today was really stressful and hectic.”

Waverly nods as she listens, slipping her hand up the back of Nicole’s shirt to scratch gently at her back. Nicole falls silent, content to just bask in her girlfriend’s touch. They quietly focus on the cooking show until Waverly’s phone rings, a cheery tune playing.

She grabs her phone off of the coffee table, looking at the caller. “It’s ‘Nonna,” she says as she answers the call. Waverly puts it on speaker before greeting her sister. “Hey, Wynonna! How are you guys?”

“Hey Waves. We’re almost to Gus’s place. In the meantime, I’m teaching our resident cowboy how to use Snapchat. He’s a big fan of the filters.”

“I’m sure that he’ll have a lot of fun with that. Nicole is here too, by the way.”

“Hey, Haught! I think that Doc sent you a bunch of pictures of cows earlier, so look forward to that.”

“I will, Wynonna,” Nicole says, a smile creeping onto her face. Wynonna has definitely seemed happier ever since they left to go get Alice and bring her back home. The entire family knows how excited she is to see her daughter again.

There’s some commotion on the other end of the line before Wynonna’s voice returns. “Doc and Dolls are fighting about something again. I gotta go, but I’ll tell Alice that her aunties say hi.”

“Be safe, don’t let the boys kill each other. Love you, Wynonna.”

“Love you too, sis. I’ll let you and Haught get back to whatever kinky shit you were probably doing.”

Wynonna promptly hangs up. Waverly rolls her eyes, huffing out a laugh. “Sometimes I wonder how she can be a mother when she’s still twelve years old herself.”

—

Nicole and Waverly finish watching the episode of Chopped before cleaning the kitchen together. Nicole washes the dishes while Waverly dries them, humming some song that Nicole vaguely recognizes as she does so.

Nicole feeds Calamity Jane and spends a few minutes petting a cuddling her. After, she and Waverly head upstairs and go through their evening routines before crawling into bed together.

Nicole nuzzles into her girlfriend, practically melting into her embrace. Waverly kisses the top of her head, brushing stray strands of hair away from Nicole’s eyes.

“Tomorrow we should start really planning our vacation,” Waverly whispers, tangling her legs up with Nicole’s.

Nicole nods, already starting to slip into a light sleep. Waverly chuckles, pressing another soft kiss to Nicole’s head.

“Goodnight, love.”

Nicole mutters something that sounds like “Night-night, honey,” before she’s out for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! If you liked this chapter, please consider leaving kudos or comments. Any and all feedback really means a lot to me.

**Author's Note:**

> So if you made it to the end of this, good job! I’m proud! Tell me how much you hated it by dropping a comment, please. They really mean a lot. (And, once again, updates for my stories will be slow. School is a bitch and I have debate on top of that. I’m sorry :((((( )


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